Curation Team
COIMBATORE: The city may soon be free of encroachments, thanks to the civic body’s move to map the open space reservation (OSR) lands with the help of geographic information system (GIS). The corporation, in collaboration with a private consultant, has initiated this process. Official records indicate that the corporation has more than 2,000 parcels of OSR land across its five zones.
As of now, 500 parcels of OSR land have been identified and mapped using GIS technology. A senior civic body official said the data would soon be available on the corporation site.
The GIS mapping will detail specifics such as ward number, zone, survey number, patta number, approved plot numbers, layout picture, extent of OSR land and encroachments, if any.
“Many people are familiar with ward numbers, but not everyone knows specific details like survey numbers. Therefore, the system has been designed to be user-friendly, allowing one to locate information easily with minimal input. Drone images will initially be used to identify layouts, after which licensed surveyors will physically inspect the locations to confirm their current status. They will report encroachments, if any, and identify if the land is utilized by the corporation for overhead tanks or similar purposes. Based on this information, the total OSR area, type of encroachment, and land measurements will be updated in the mapping,” a member of the technical team explained to TOI.In 2024, the civic body had reclaimed 23 parcels of OSR land (4.5 acres) worth more than Rs350 crore through special drives. The corporation official said more parcels of OSR land will be identified and reclaimed in the upcoming days.
Appreciating the city corporation’s efforts, S P Thiyagarajan, secretary, Tamil Nadu Reserve Site Protection Committee, said, “This action should be welcomed. Not everyone will access the corporation website. So, the civic body should launch a campaign to inform the public about the availability of this data online. This will enable land buyers to verify the authenticity of plots. Since the layout copy will also be attached, the possibility of forged documents could be ruled out.”
Pointing out that the corporation had listed around 150 parcels of encroached OSR land on its website, Thiyagarajan said he had personally identified an additional 100 encroachments and submitted the details to officials more than 10 years ago, but without any results. “Around 75 parcels of OSR land are currently under litigation in various courts. The city has another 300 to 400 parcels of encroached and unidentified OSR land.”
